The ballot measure will ask voter approval to lease Memorial for 40 years to University of Colorado Health System in return for $74 million up front and about $5.6 million annually, plus a share of revenue and $3 million a year for 30 years to set up a medical school at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. There are other provisions, which can be found at the link above.

Election Systems & Software was the only firm to answer the city's request for qualifications to handle the election, city purchasing official Curt DeCapite says in an e-mail. The contract pays $237,000.

In February, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Wayne Williams submitted estimates for his office to handle the election. Those were $613,384 for a polling-place election and $357,696 for all-mail-ballot.

The city's contract with the Omaha company covers the cost of an estimated 176,000 ballots, more than the city's roughly 161,277 active voters. Active voters are those who voted in the most recent statewide election, which was in 2010. If you didn't, you might not automatically get a mail ballot. So check your registration information here.

The city's website contains information on deadlines for registering to vote in the Nov. 6 general election, but is silent on the Aug. 28 special election. So, since the city won't tell you, we will: You must register by 29 days before an election, which is July 30, or two weeks from today.